Timeline for How do I communicate to my players that a door is, for the time being, absolutely locked to them?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2018 at 3:18 | comment | added | jpmc26 | Why does it have to be out of character? If they start going too far trying to open it, the DM can just cut them off and announce that, in universe, "The party spends several hours trying to find a way to open the door, to no avail." This is just as explicit and has the same effect on gameplay (making it absolutely clear that there's no point in playing the scenario out) without breaking the immersion. | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 12:16 | comment | added | Pink Sweetener | I think I'll use one of the solutions below, but keep this in mind as a last resort. | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 11:24 | comment | added | Hugh Meyers | Agreed. Something I sometimes use is the "obtrusive narrator" just because going fully out of character feels off to me. I might say something like: "as your party examines the door, you feel a certainty deep in your hearts that now is not the time to attempt this door. But maybe someday..." | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 7:30 | comment | added | Isaac Reefman | There are a bunch of great ideas below, and if it were me, I'd probably pick one of those, but: they still might not work. Your players might see the amulet slot, read about the ice queen and guess that must be a clue for where the amulet is hidden nearby. Then they begin to obsess, and therefore ignore the ruckus going on down a nearby corridor. By the time they've focused that much on the door... at least have this one up your sleeve; it's the key solution. It's ok for your players to know stuff their characters don't. | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 2:33 | comment | added | Harper - Reinstate Monica | Absolutely, this is the answer. Use 1 minute of game time to tell them the characters have wasted a day of world time, and some of them never want to see that stupid door again. | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 2:11 | comment | added | Jack | Yes, to this. Your last two paragraphs are the best. Separating the characters and players is very good, and especially noting that the characters can get tired and frustrated but the players can move on. | |
| Aug 13, 2018 at 1:44 | history | answered | G_B | CC BY-SA 4.0 |